The contest for the Christmas number one single has become as traditional to the festive season as roast turkey and Brussels sprouts.

A variety of serious and not-so-serious acts join the race in a month where single sales reach their annual peak.

This Christmas is the first where it has been possible for a song available only for download to enter the charts, meaning Christmas classics from Mariah Carey, Wham!, Wizzard, Slade, Shakin' Stevens and Band Aid, have made it back into the top 40.

But which songs are proving serious contenders for the Christmas crown?

Form: Just what you want for Christmas - a heavy helping of existentialist angst, delivered by dour Scotsman Malcolm Middleton.

Cheery it ain't... at least on the surface.

Middleton, formerly of indie act Arab Strap, insists there is a positive message: "Although at first seemingly negative," he explains, "the song is intended to make people think about being alive and making the most of our time here, which to me are your generic Christmas themes."

Form: It has been a year of mixed fortunes for Amy Winehouse, who releases Love Is A Losing game from her bestselling album Back To Black.

She landed six Grammy nominations for Back To Black, won the Ivor Novello award for the single Rehab, won a Brit award for best British female artist, and was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize.

But as well as the ups - including her ever burgeoning beehive hairstyle - 2007 has brought its downs. Her husband was remanded in custody, and she was released on bail after being questioned by police in connection with an investigation into perverting the course of justice.

Winehouse also cancelled her UK tour after a number of shambolic performances, and her battle with drugs and alcohol has been widely reported.

Key lyric: "Love is losing game; One I wish I'd never played."

Trivia: Love Is A Losing Game is the fifth song from Back To Black to be released as a single.